COLUMBUS, Ohio — Safa Salem is the definition of beating the odds.

Safa Salem always dreamed she’d be a doctor.

“I was diagnosed with cancer when I was 5, and I was in the hospital doing my chemotherapy and getting my surgeries and dreamed of being a doctor one day to help kids like me,” said Salem, a medical student at the Ohio State University’s medical school. 

Her dream didn’t come without obstacles. When she was 5, her entire household came down with the flu. Her parents started getting concerned when she was the only one who didn’t recover. What her parents thought was a bad case of the flu would later turn out to be adrenal cancer.

“They sent a mass that was the size of the palm for a biopsy which came back as a stage four neuroblastoma,” said Salem. 

By the time the doctors found the mass, it was up in her chest. She lived in the Cleveland area at the time and received her treatment at the Cleveland Clinic. Salem endured an intense chest surgery followed by several rounds of chemotherapy and 10 years of follow up.

“So that was the really big surgery that ended up leaving me with a scar about 12 inches long,” said Salem. “That scar is obviously still around today and stands the testament to all of the resiliency and strength a lot of cancer patients have.” 

She claimed remission status in high school. Despite her journey, she stayed at the top of her class and was accepted to Harvard University.

“I think at that point in my life I realized I was capable of a lot more than I thought I would be and my parents have always been my rocks in that regard,” said Salem. 

With the support of her family, she pushed herself to achieve her dream. After finishing undergrad at Harvard and conducting research at UCLA she wanted to return to the state that inspired her to pursue medicine. After several rounds of interviews, she would become a part of Ohio State’s 2021-22 medical school class.

“When I got into Ohio State two weeks later, two weeks after the interview, my dad went out and bought me two cakes,” said Salem. “One that said 'Congrats Dr. Salem' and 'Congrats Dr. Safa.' This has always been like the full-circle moment of giving back to the place that made me.” 

In her first year of medical school, she’s experiencing her dream first hand.

“I'm over at the Spielman Center where they’ve matched me to oncology,” said Salem. “I'm working with breast cancer patients.” 

Working through the pandemic has given its own set of challenges. Since her immune system is more temperamental than her classmates, she’s had to work with teachers and professors in case she gets sick. Salem said she is prepared to do whatever it takes to help the next kid just like her.

“My goal is to be an oncologist of some sort,” said Salem. “In 10 years, hopefully I’ll be done with my training and I also want to get my master's in public health to work on health policy at the same time.” 

Salem said she doesn’t have a preference in oncology and is open to doing surgery or general care and diagnosis. On top of her doctorate, she wants to get a master's to work on health policy focusing on disparities and health care access in minority communities.

Her Palestinian roots have caused her to see the disparities around illness first hand. She wants to change the stigma around severe illnesses like cancer which can lead to late diagnosis and more severe treatments.

She said she wants to be a part of the change and provide more resources and technology in underserved communities.